Writing Prompt Wednesday Archive
by Helena Louvel
Summary: A collection of my contributions to r/RWBY's 'Writing Prompt Wednesday', containing one or two-shots of varying genres and levels of insanity. Starts off with my first prompt: Weiss caught in a time loop.
1. Reset

**Prompt:** _[Insert character] has confided in their friends that they are, in fact, a time traveler_ _currently in a time loop.  
_ **Original Post Date:** _December 6th, 2017_

* * *

There were probably a lot of pretty decent things, in Weiss' mind, about being a kid. Several of them had something to do with getting away with things an adult, or even a teenager, couldn't. Things like climbing on furniture, staying up to an ungodly late hour, or pouting just right to get that last cookie from the jar. As a kid, everything was new and exciting and adventure in its purest form.

That is, unless you happened to be a kid in the Schnee household. For the fifteenth time.

Weiss didn't know how it had started. The first loop was a bit of a blur at this point, the time before even more so. But she was damn sure that she wasn't getting out of it anytime soon. That had become apparent by the time the third loop ended with her rather embarrassing death at the maw of the Grimm dragon set to attack Beacon in a few years time.

Speaking of which, she had a lot of work ahead of her. There weren't a lot of people who would listen to the currently-twelve-year-old recently appointed heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, but she did keep finding ways to convince people that she wasn't just a kid with an overly active imagination.

Swearing, for example, seemed to help get her point across. Score one to Yang for that.

"Jacques, from the bottom of my heart, go fuck yourself."

No matter how many iterations of her life she went through, that was always indescribably satisfying. She didn't wait around this time to see his reaction - the split second of shock, the slack-jawed awe, the anger swiftly following that had once frightened her but now made her triumph all the sweeter. She slammed the door to his office shut and made for her room.

Skipping up the lavish marble steps two at a time, she thumbed through her scroll for a moment. Finding what she was looking for, she lifted it to her ear and waited for the call - the first of many - to go through.

"Miss Schnee. How may I-"

"Hello, Klein! How are you?" Weiss asked brightly, swinging herself around the banister and onto the second floor. There was a long pause. She had probably startled her dear friend again, but she knew she could rely on his help.

"I am... well, Miss Schnee. Thank you. What can I do for you?"

"You can help me get out of here," she said, heels far too tall for her clicking noisily on the tiles beneath her feet.

"I... beg your pardon? Miss Schnee, are you alright?"

"Yes, Klein," she replied, unable to suppress an exasperated eye roll. "I promise, I'm fine. I know there's a passage out to the street in the first-floor library. Meet me there. Quickly, please." With that, she disconnected the call and swiped through her phone. Finding the application she was looking for, she heaved a sigh as she pushed her door open and began to record a new note.

"This is... the start of my fifteenth loop. Cause of death in loop fourteen; Hazel, one of Salem's associates. As much as I hate to admit it, it was just a... mistake, in the fight. I'll be smarter this time. Everything until then went... as well as could be expected."

Pulling a small suitcase from beneath her bed, Weiss set about packing for her decidedly long voyage.

"I couldn't stop Penny or Pyrrha from dying. I tried going after Blake instead of Yang," Weiss paused, a hand falling to her leg as a flash of fear seized her throat. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's just say that I get how she felt."

She retrieved a thick coat from her closet - her favorite, she remembered with a small smile - and balanced her scroll in one hand as she shrugged it on, "I'm going to try a different approach this time. I'll update once I get to Vale."

Stuffing her scroll into her pocket, she collected her bag and strode back out the door. She had tried several different routes throughout three loops, two of which ending with her being stuck in Atlas for far longer than originally intended, including jumping from the balcony and, on one particularly frustrating endeavor, just walking out the front gate. Nothing worked. Every alternative got her caught and without her weapon, or Semblance to boot, that never failed to be awful.

Her return to the first floor was marginally uneventful. Her father stormed past in a whirlwind of somewhat pathetic fury, completely missing Weiss hidden in the shadow of a small alcove at the top of the stairs. As soon as he was out of earshot, she ran for the armory, bare feet almost inaudible on the soft carpet. It was only once she had reached her destination that she slipped her feet into a sturdy pair of winter boots. Then, cautiously, she opened the door.

Depending on her timing, this is what had tripped her up a few times. It was, however, mercifully empty, and so Weiss silently grabbed a familiar rapier from the wall. It wasn't Myrtenaster, but in a pinch, it was better than nothing. It found a home securely on her belt, the hilt hidden by her jacket and, after collecting as many cartridges of Dust ammunition as she could carry, she headed for the library.

She didn't have to go far. She found Klein waiting for her, as she had instructed, and her heart soared in relief. Setting her suitcase on the floor, she threw her arms around the slightly taller man. Each loop made her appreciate him all the more, and curse herself for not holding him in higher regard the first time around.

He gave a surprised grunt at her sudden hug but returned it gently after a moment.

"Please, be careful, Miss Schnee."

"I will," Weiss said with a smile, offering a firm nod as she pulled away. "Thank you, Klein."

The passageway was narrow and dark. She managed all the same, the route long since memorized. Her smaller frame did make it difficult to open the metal gate at the end, but a few good shoves and it gave, groaning as it carving divets in the fresh snow.

She stepped out into the frozen road and took a breath. Cold air filled her lungs. Her cheeks burned slightly as the chill nipped at her face, and she gazed around. The fence to the gardens lay behind her. The moon hung high overhead at its shattered zenith, shining brilliantly in the clear night sky. In its soft light, Weiss saw a figure in the distance, seated on a bench. The cold seemed irrelevant to them.

 _Mom..._ Weiss nearly called out, the snow crunching beneath her boots as she took a half-step forward. Something stopped her. Something always stopped her. She knew this was something beyond her power to fix. She had tried.

A Beowulf howl drifted on the wind. Letting out a slow breath, her hand curled around the hilt of her weapon. Then, she turned aside and started her long trek to Atlas Academy.

There was a lot she had to do.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Following the example of one of my friends over on Discord, TedorAlive2, I've decided to post my Writing Prompt Wednesday contributions from the r/RWBY subReddit. I've only been at this for six months, but it's a ton of fun, and I'm at least semi-proud of most of my pieces. I'll be playing catch-up for the next hour or so, then I'll post them every Wednesday - well, when I actually find a prompt I want to do._


	2. Fractious

**Prompt:** _Qrow and Ironwood reconcile the Fall of Beacon, their current situation and even their own lives over a single shared drink_.  
 **Original Post Date:** _January 3rd, 2018_

* * *

The silence was nearly unbearable.

Usually, Qrow would count himself blessed that his current company hadn't taken it upon himself to reprimand him for Gods-knows what for the millionth time, but in this instance, it was unnerving. The only sounds were the wind howling outside, the clinking of ice from the crystal glass he spun lazily in hand, and the occasional soft curse as the bartender dropped something he had been cleaning. Qrow honestly couldn't remember if James had looked at him once since they took their seats at the table in the corner.

He set his glass down and straightened slightly in the chair, the old wood creaking in protest. Drawing in a slow breath, he spoke.

"James-"

"Qrow-"

His gaze flicked upward, dusty red meeting tired blue for but a moment before both men looked away. The idea of a smile crossed his expression as he took a sip of his drink and waved vaguely for James to continue.

"Thank you," the General said at length, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. "For coming all this way."

"'ey, don't mention it. With Haven secured, and Salem thinkin' twice about her next move, we had some time on our hands. Least I could do after..." Qrow trailed off, opting instead to take another long swig of his Atlesian ale. It wasn't the greatest thing in the world, but it burned, and that was enough.

"Beacon," James finished with a nod.

"Yeah." Qrow pushed a hard breath out his nose, shoulders sagging slightly. "What happened, James?"

"You were there," came the quick retort, sharp but with no real hint of venom. Qrow couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips.

"Smartass, huh? Thought that was my thing."

The jab, gentle as it was, came as naturally as breathing for Qrow at that point, much to his surprising chagrin. He could've sworn they used to get along; back when Qrow had just chosen to be free of his tribe, and James was a Colonel, and things had been much, _much_ simpler.

Qrow lifted his head and, for what felt like the first time that night, looked - really _looked_ \- at the man sitting opposite him. Almost immediately, he decided that he'd looked better even mid-Battle of Beacon. There was a dip in his posture that had certainly never been there before, as though some invisible weight had dropped onto his shoulders. Deep purple circles only proved to further Qrow's suspicions that he hadn't been sleeping well, if at all, and the stubble along his jaw made him look unkempt. If not for the uniform, Qrow would've been hard-pressed to place him in the military at all.

"I meant to you," he said softly, then cursed himself for the poor phrasing as James visibly tensed. The man stared at the table hard for a long minute, then turned to stare equally as intensely out the window.

"How can you still trust him?"

Qrow didn't need to ask who 'him' was.

"He's never lied to me."

"Bullshit."

Qrow started in surprise. James hadn't turned back to face him, but the ease and fervor with which he practically spat the swear startled him. Masking his unease with a nonchalant shrug, Qrow tipped his chair back.

"It's the truth. I can trust him because he has yet to give me a reason not to," he said. "You know, he hasn't given you one either."

James _did_ face him this time, looking like Qrow had just slapped his mother. "How can you even _think_ that?" he demanded. "If Oz had just-"

"Listened to you? Sent an army to Mountain Glenn?" Qrow raised an eyebrow. Scoffed, "Jimmy, please. As if that would have changed anything." He leaned forward, gesturing with one hand. "If you had taken a force to Glenn, Torchwick would've been arrested, just like he was. Either way, it would put everything - every _one_ \- right where _she_ wanted. All Cinder had to do to flip the tables on us was hack into the CCT and puppet-master the Nikos girl into-"

" _Don't_ ," James interrupted firmly, and at the expression of pain - eyes closed, fists clenched - on his face, Qrow shut up without protest. "... remind me. Just don't."

Silence fell between them, radiating tension. Qrow sighed. He'd forgotten how close James had been with the 'girl' who'd been killed - Penny, if he remembered correctly.

"James," he began. Hesitantly, he reached across the table and placed a hand on the other man's arm. "It wouldn't have made a difference either way. Playing it cool was the most reasonable thing to do at the time."

James frowned, shrugging him off, and Qrow willingly withdrew. "You really believe that? Even after all this time? Even now that _she_ has Miss Rose?"

It was Qrow's turn to tense this time. One of their only losses from Haven. He hadn't seen it coming. He'd been too damn preoccupied with his bitch of a sister, and Oz with Hazel, and the kids with seeing to their wounded friend that none of them had had time to realize what was happening before one of Cinder's lackeys disappeared with his niece on her back.

Qrow flexed his fingers to keep from breaking his glass, watching them shake with mild interest. "Ruby's a strong kid. She'll be fine. It won't take us long to find her." His tone left no room for argument.

James's irritation faded, expression softening with sympathy.

"I wish I could help," he said.

"Sure you do," Qrow replied in a low voice that was more bitter than he'd intended. He didn't miss James's wince, but elected to ignore it as he drained his glass and set it back down on the table with a tad too much force.

"So. How'd old man Schnee take _both_ his daughters defecting?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. Jacques has always been something of a loose cannon," said James, shaking his head. Qrow muttered 'understatement' under his breath, and he hummed in agreement. "But with Winter under my command and young Miss Schnee in Mistral, he's become increasingly... difficult to reason with."

Qrow swallowed hard. He didn't like what James' tone implied.

"And Willow?" he asked, recalling her niece's partner mentioning her family. "It's dangerous for her and the kid to stay there."

"I'm aware," James said exasperatedly, leaning his forehead on one hand. "Unfortunately, as you can see, I have my hands full at the moment, and I can't afford to make Jacques an enemy on top of it all."

"Where does it stop, James?" Qrow crossed his arms. "The embargo, closing Atlas' borders, overruling the council's decision t-"

"I'm protecting my people," James interjected, eyes narrowing. Qrow knew he was walking a fine line, but he couldn't very well find it in himself to care.

"Like you protected Vale?"

James shot to his feet, both hands slamming down on the table with enough force to momentarily tip it. Crystal shattered on the floor, the glasses exploding into millions of pieces that refracted the pale moonlight.

"Qrow!" he snarled.

"Hey, don't get mad 'cause I'm right," Qrow rose to meet him, bracing himself on the edges of the table. "If you hadn't told the council off, and Atlas had come to help, we wouldn't have almost lost Weiss! _I_ might still have my niece!"

Jame's eyes flashed dangerously with indignation. "What else am I supposed to do?! Let Salem destroy my school, slaughter my students?! I am doing the best I can to protect my people! I don't-"

His voice broke, and all at once, he stopped. Qrow blinked, drawing away slightly in surprise. He had half expected to be thrown into the wall, or at the very least punched. But, as he watched, a fine tremble snaked its way through the other man's frame. With what could only be described as a sob, and somehow retaining a great deal of grace, James collapsed back into his chair. Qrow remained frozen in place as he buried his face in his hands.

Very, very slowly, Qrow rounded the table. Crystal shards crunched underfoot, scaring the floorboards. Then, haltingly, bracing himself for an adverse reaction, Qrow settled a hand on James' shoulder. Amidst uneven breaths came his muffled voice, strained and weak.

"I don't... know what else to do, Qrow."

Qrow swallowed again. "Help us," he said quietly. "We _can_ stop her. Haven proves that." He gave the man's shoulder a squeeze. " _Help us_ , James."

It felt like an eternity, but was really only a few minutes, before James' violent shuddering subsided. He lowered his hands back to the table with a weary sigh.

"I can't," he murmured, turning to look up at the Huntsman. "I'm sorry."

Qrow didn't meet his gaze; merely tightened his hold a fraction.

"I know."

* * *

 **A/N:** _Little bit AU with this one - Volume 5 hadn't yet wrapped up, and I took the idea of Ruby being kidnapped at Haven to heart when writing it._


	3. D&D: Remnant Edition

**Prompt:** _RWBY is actually a game of D &D, the cast play out a scene or season in one of their sessions.  
_ **Original Post Date:** _January 10th, 2018_

* * *

"WHAT?!"

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?"

Ruby let the Monster Guide fall from between her fingers, and it hit the wooden table with a satisfyingly dramatic smack. Beside her, Jaune's palm found his forehead with a similar sound before the blonde leaned forward, staring intensely at his friend as the latter opened his mouth.

"Dude, I swear to god..."

"I haven't even done anything yet," said Ren.

"I _know_ that look!"

Ren cast him little more than a smirk as he faced their DM, raising an eyebrow in the older student's direction. "So both of us are out of Aura completely?"

"Correct, and you have a several-ton Grimm charging you," replied Ozpin, offering a nod. Ruby rolled her eyes in slight exasperation as his amused smile grew, but couldn't help her own.

"But Nora's still basically got god-tier strength, s-so, yeah, you're fine," Jaune said, voice rising in pitch despite the casual shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah, just means no more Semblance," Ruby pointed out, giving Jaune's shoulder a playful nudge. "No more hiding from this Grimm, kids!"

"Oh, fuck-" said Jaune on a low moan. He let his head drop to the table fully this time. He raised it slowly after a moment, taking a deep breath with his hands clasped against his mouth. "We are so dead."

Nora's laughter finally having subsided, she waved her hands at the pair exaggeratedly. "Shhhhh-shh-shush! Oz, whose turn is it?"

"Yours, Nora."

"Okay," the redhead nodded, tapping her pencil against her chin for a few seconds before chewing absentmindedly on the eraser. Her nose twitched slightly as she sniffed, then looked up. "There's a building next to us, right?"

Ozpin nodded, pointing to the map on the table in front of them. "You fell next to a large building with a raised foundation, yes."

"Raised, as in...?"

"It's up off the ground, supported by wooden beams," he clarified, his chair creaking slightly as he shifted. "Crouching, you'd be able to fit under it,"

"Could I..." she trailed off, once again sticking the end of her pencil in her mouth as she contemplated her move. Then, she grinned, taking her pink D20 in hand. "Okay. I'm gonna... go stand next to Ren... and then tackle him under that building like a fucking linebacker."

"Roll a strength saving throw," Ozpin said, ignoring Jaune and Ruby's subsequent groans. Silence fell for a few seconds, only broken by the TV in the background, Ruby rifling through her character sheets, and eventually, the clatter of a die being rolled.

"Nineteen."

Ozpin chuckled. "Alright. You tackle him under the building, and lay there on the ground with him beneath you waiting to have a house dropped on you or otherwise be trampled by this Grimm," he said. "Jaune, it's back to you."

Jaune stared across at his fellow player in astonishment. "You fuck- WHAT WAS THAT?!" he screeched, gesturing vaguely at her with both hands. Ruby hid her snorts beneath her hand as she broke down laughing.

"I have a plan!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, my plan is for you to save our asses," said Nora between breathless giggles.

Jaune pursed his lips, shaking his head, but reached for his own dice anyways. "When this is over, you and I are gonna have a good long talk there, thunder tits..." He turned to Ozpin, his bemused expression making the man smile. "Can I stop the Grimm?"

"You can certainly try," he said, gesturing to the board with a nod.

"I'm gonna regret this," said the blonde on a heavy sigh. "Okay, I... I throw myself in front of the house they're under and lift my sword to try and stop it."

Ruby tugged at his sweater for a moment, unable to breathe through her laughter. "All I can picture is your character just... appearing out of nowhere and being like," she raised both hands and thrust them outward, "'By the power of Greyskull!'"

Nora threw a fist skyward. "'This is a good day to die, motherfuckers!'" She answered Jaune's half-glare with a sweetly innocent smile. "What did you get?"

"Fifteen...?" replied Jaune, peering at their DM as he shrank in his seat.

Ozpin, however, merely straightened, smile unwavering. "As the Grimm raises itself up on its hind legs to smash the house and your defenseless teammates, you slide in between them and manage to catch its Beowulf-like front legs on your sword."

"Fuck yeah!" Nora hooted.

"However-"

Jaune's head rolled backward. "Dammit..."

"It's strength ultimately proves too much for you, and you're shoved to the ground. You are also now at its mercy," Ozpin explained. Head rolling to the side, Jaune offered his friend a hopeful grin.

"Ruby...?"

"I carry this team, I swear to god!" Ruby announced, her mock-anger betrayed by her continuing laughter which only tapered off as she cleared her throat and smiled at Ozpin. "Um... I'll use Crescent Rose and just... kinda... shoot at it to get its attention." She rolled, black and red dice hitting her muffled box. "Ten."

"You don't do any damage, but you _do_ succeed in moving its attention from Jaune to you. It launches one of its arms towards you…" Ozpin shifted one of his papers aside, then adjusted his glasses. "... and I will allow a dex saving throw."

Ruby gave a grateful hum. "Thank you!" She rolled. "Nineteen. I'll just, um... launch myself out of the way and onto one of the buildings behind me, using the recoil of my scythe." She turned her bright smile to Ren, who nodded and clapped his hands.

"Alright."

Seeing his own slight smile, Jaune shook his head. "Don't you fucking dare-"

"I'm gonna get up from under the building-"

"It's still right there!"

"And go look for my weapons," Ren finished. He glanced around the table, his shoulders shaking with soft chuckles at the looks he was given by the party members. "Hey, keeping character here."

Ozpin flipped the page of his binder. "Admirable, Ren. Now then-"

"I want to roll for persuasion!" Nora announced suddenly, then sharply faced Ren. "You're gonna get your character killed, and _I'm_ not gonna let _you_ spend another full session making a new one."

"Assuming you're alright with that?" said Ozpin. Ren nodded. "Alright, Nora. What did you have in mind?"

"I grab his arm," she said.

"I try to pull myself away and say, 'Nora, let go. Nora! They're going to get hurt if we don't-'"

"I backhand him!"

"Oh-ho, attagirl Nora!" Yang cheered from her place on the couch, briefly throwing her arms in the air. Blake shushed her, burying a giggle of her own in her girlfriend's shoulder.

Nora fist pumped, banging her knee against the table as she did, though she barely noticed. "Sixteen!"

Ozpin smirked. "I take it you'll still be wanting that persuasion roll?"

"Please," said Nora, tone suddenly timid, but her smile remained.

"So, you slap him across the face with the back of your hand. No damage. I assume you're going to let her speak her piece? Stunned silence, so to speak?" Ozpin asked, raising an eyebrow. Ren simply nodded again, settling his chin on his hand and giving Nora an encouraging look. "Floor's yours."

Nora twirled her pencil, staring at the papers in front of her. "I... I say..." She trailed off and bit her lip. Then, taking a deep breath, she turned to Ren. "'No. I won't let you kill yourself like this. After everything we've been through... I won't let it end. _Not like this_.'"

She rolled.

"Nat 20, bitch," she said, tone softening along with her smile.

Jaune whistled, running a hand through his hair. "Wow. No suicides for you, Ren."

"I'm so disappointed," Ren rolled his eyes, tearing them away from the girl beside him long enough to glance at his character sheet.

"Well, finish up you two! We've got a Grimm to kill," Ruby encouraged, bouncing in her chair.

"Alright, alright. I've still got that knife with me, right? My fathers?" A nod from Ozpin, and he continued, "I just kinda... pull it out and hold it in both hands, realizing she's right."

"Of course I'm right," Nora quipped. She gave a quiet laugh. Then, leaning over, she took Ren's hand, threading their fingers together. "I put my hand over his and curl it around the hilt of the knife and say... 'We can do this.'"

Ren smiled gently and pressed a kiss to her forehead, much to the adoration of those in present company.

"Awwwww!"

"Whoohoo!"

"Alright RNJR, let's kick some ass!"


	4. Divergence

**Prompt:** _Yang must choose: Team RWBY or becoming Raven's heir as leader of the bandit tribe.  
_ **Original Post Date:** _March 21st, 2018_

* * *

"Yang... are you okay?"

The blonde almost scoffed at her teammate's question. Of course she wasn't okay. She was anything _but_ okay. Here she'd finally found her mother, after the years spent searching for her, to the point of obsession, and... She wasn't sure what else she had been expecting. Certainly not for her to declare that everything they'd been fighting for was nothing but a fool's errand, for her to denounce the very people she was supposed to have once loved. Worse than that, however...

Was that Yang _almost_ believed her.

"I'll be fine once I can get her to take us to Ruby," she replied curtly, fingers curling in anticipation of a target to fight. Weiss was silent for a long minute. Yang could hear her shifting her weight. Then, delicately,

"It's okay if... you're _not_ okay," she said.

That made Yang pause. Lowering her arms a fraction, she glanced over her shoulder. "You... didn't believe what she said, right?"

"I- Of course not," Weiss replied, looking away. Despite her uncertain tone, Yang felt her shoulder sag in slight relief. If neither of them were willing to entertain Raven's wild claims, then-

"Well..." she continued, "not all of it? It was crazy. We have Dust, Semblances, but... I mean, there's no such thing as magic."

Before Yang could voice her agreement, a caw echoed overhead, and the pair craned their heads back to see a black bird circling in the evening sun.

"A... raven?"

"I've seen that bird before," Yang said, eyes narrowing as she followed the bird's path toward the treeline. It felt impossible, and ridiculous even as she said it. There was something about it, though, that was distinctly familiar, and Yang couldn't put a finger on what, or even why.

"Maybe it belongs to your mom?" Weiss offered hesitantly. No, Yang thought. That wasn't it. She hadn't seen it before, and surely she would've if it belonged to Raven.

Raven... _a raven_...

Yang's eyes widened at the involuntary connection just as the bird swooped low, arcing around and through the thick foliage at the border of the bandit camp. It flapped, picking up speed. Then, in the span of a blink, it was her mother sailing through the air. She landed in a kneel on the dirt and rose with a cocksure smirk, settling a hand on the hilt of her blade.

"How... did you do that?" came Yang's breathless question, too startled to think of much else worth asking. Beside her, Weiss took a step back. Some small part of her was glad she wasn't alone in her utter disbelief.

"Well... _I_ could explain it to you," Raven replied. Turning, she drew her sword and slashed downward through the open air. A churning, blood red portal burst to life. "Or you could ask your Uncle."

"You're letting us go?"

"I'm giving you a choice," Raven corrected. She straightened, facing her daughter, and her expression softened to something almost... hopeful. "Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start."

Yang's gaze hardened, though more so in hatred of herself for even considering the possibility, if only for a moment.

"Or, you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem. And meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone whose kept so much from you?"

It was only when her palms began to ache that Yang realized her hands had curled into trembling fists at her side, accompanied by the very real fact that she _was_ considering it. She wanted to be disgusted with herself, wanted to push everything that had just happened out of her mind and focus on getting to Ruby. Yet...

What if she was right? The doubt was there now, and it festered. If _magic_ was real... if _Ozpin_ had done this to her mother and Uncle... then what else was really going on?

And would she really get the whole story by going back now?

"Yang...?" Weiss voice drew her from her mind's chaotic buzzing, and suddenly, it all came into focus. Her hands unfurled, but her shoulders tensed in apprehension.

"You go on ahead, Weiss," she said without looking. "I'll catch up."

"What?! No! I'm not just going t-"

"Weiss," Yang snapped. Remembering herself, her tone eased into one far softer, as if imploring her teammate to understand. "Please. I just... need to hear what she has to say." She did turn this time, and the idea of a smile flickered across her lips even as she caught sight of Weiss' altogether aghast expression. "Make sure Ruby's okay. I promise I'll come find you all as soon as I can."

"Yang..."

For a moment, Yang thought she'd berate her, tell her she was being an idiot. That was what she hoped for, at least. Instead, Weiss took a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Yang said firmly, nodding. Seeming to accept it, Weiss strode forward without missing a beat. Yang bit her lip, indecision still swirling.

"Weiss!" she called. Her teammate paused just shy of the portal's event horizon and looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. Under different circumstances, Yang would've laughed. "Be careful."

Weiss finally smiled with a nod of her own. "You too."

Then, she was gone, and the portal closed. A heartbeat of silence followed before Raven smiled. For a change, it was sincerely warm. To Yang, that felt wrong.

Her mother opened her mouth, but Yang held up a hand to forestall any smart comment or otherwise placating remark.

"Don't," she said in a no-nonsense way usually only reserved for Ruby's crazier antics. "I don't want to hear it."

Rather than pushing, as she'd expected, Raven gave her head an approving tilt. Then, she gestured to the tent they had emerged from.

"You never did finish that tea," she said. Walking past her daughter, the bandit leader held back the canvas for her, beckoning with her other hand. "Come on. We have a lot to talk about."


	5. One For Sorrow

**Prompt:** _Ruby jumps in and takes the poison strike meant for Qrow.  
_ **Original Post Date:** _April 4th, 2018_

* * *

It wasn't supposed to be her.

Ruby's head was heavy on his shoulder as the solemn group marched - the Valkyrie girl and her partner in front, eyes on the road ahead, and the blonde beside him with a hand on his sword - like a funeral procession down the barren, beaten path. Her shallow, labored breath fanned in constant whispers across his neck; the only indication that she was, indeed, still alive.

The forest around them, by contrast, was dead in every sense of the word. There was no wind, nor any sight or sound of animal or Grimm. Winter husks of trees stood as sentinels along the fence line, observing their passage in absolute silence and, other than the thumping trudge of their booted footsteps, it was not broken by the young Huntsmen.

Qrow imagined the shift of priorities had been seamless for them in regards to their surrogate leader. His niece. His wounded - _fatally_ wounded, he corrected himself - niece. It was no longer simply a matter of getting to Mistral. Now, there was a consequence if they didn't.

Get to Mistral. Save Ruby.

The alternative was losing someone else that they all held dear. It was not something any of them were willing to entertain.

The quiet, which seemed to stretch on in tandem with the unbearably long road, gave Qrow the rather unwelcome opportunity to think. While a rather futile endeavor, he honestly tried his best not to. Thinking meant remembering what had happened not twenty-four hours earlier. Remembering that he had failed. Again.

It had happened so fast. Though, in retrospect, he supposed he shouldn't have expected less from someone who's very outward projection of the soul manifested as speed. The halved beam - one that would have nearly crushed her thanks to his curse of a Semblance - had clattered to the ground, sparing her injury. Qrow remembered being relieved. She had smiled…

And then she'd screamed.

 _It should've been me._

His foot caught on an uneven patch of dirt, dragging him from his thoughts. His eyes shot open as he stumbled, and the red stain of rose petals and blood dissipated from his vision. He hadn't even realized he'd closed them. Shakily managing to catch himself, he straightened and forced in a deep breath. He caught a glimpse of the redhead girl glancing back at him, gaze steeped in sympathy, and frowned.

His attention was drawn to Ruby as she shifted, and her breathing hiccuped. A spike of panic twisted a knife hard in his gut, one that only eased on her next steady exhale. Globules of purple poison-laced blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth, joining that which had already dried on her chin.

"Hold on, kiddo," he pleaded softly, adjusting his hold. "Just hold on."

The blonde kid - Jaune, if he remembered correctly - took in Ruby's pained expression a moment before lifting his head to call to his teammates. "How much farther?" he asked.

"We've gotta be close," the redhead replied.

"Without the map, there's no way of knowing," her partner pointed out. Qrow found himself irritated almost to the point of anger, and not for the first time, that they had dropped their only reliable navigation tool, but Ruby once again stole his attention away before he could comment. His niece gave a series of gurling coughs - a ghastly, dry bubbling. He lowered her to the ground, though kept her head propped up in the crook of his neck, and watched the three teens gather around a signpost a few feet away.

The road diverged into two possible routes. Snaking off to the right the land grew mountainous and the path became elevated, and the sign indicated Kuchinashi and Mistral.

"Hey, hey!" the girl called, her voice taking on an excited tone as she rushed to point at the signs. "Mistral! We're on the right path!" At once, her expression fell, and her hand dropped back to her side. "Oh…"

"It looks like the path takes us up the mountains," the black-haired kid called over his shoulder.

"Guys," Jaune said quietly, turning saddened eyes to their younger teammate. "I don't know if all of us can make that climb." Under different circumstances, Qrow would've argued. His niece was strong; a fighter. If it was the quickest way to Mistral, they should take it. But with Ruby in his arms, fading further with every passing minute, he couldn't find it in him.

Jaune approached the signpost, hands on his hips. A heartbeat's worth of consideration passed. Then, the blonde gestured to a sign that had been crudely crossed out. "What about this? Kuroyuri?" he asked. "Could we find help there?"

"That village was destroyed years ago."

"But if it takes us around the mountains, it's the best bet we've got."

"It will take too long."

"Well, th-the town would've had a doctor, right? Maybe we can find something to help Ruby."

Qrow quirked an eyebrow, almost on instinct, as the green-clad Huntsman's voice suddenly rose in volume, with a stern, nearly infuriated insistence. "We're not going to find anything!" he snapped. "We just have to press on!"

Silence fell. He felt more than heard Ruby's next fit of coughs and shifted to allow her to breathe a little easier.

"Ren, why are you acting-"

"We split up," Qrow said. It was like an electric shock went through the group, the trio jumping in near perfect, startled unison. They turned, staring in what Qrow could only assume was dumbfounded surprise. With a grunt, he hefted Ruby back into his arms and stood. "You kids cut through the mountains. I'll take Ruby the long way 'round."

"No," came Jaune's predictably immediate protest, "we're supposed to stick together! We keep each other safe!"

The redhead stepped forward, putting a hand on his arm. "Jaune, we don't have time for safe!" she said. "If we make it to Mistral, we'll bring back help! If we don't, at least we'll have a better view of the land! Up there, we can see if there's somewhere else we can go!"

Whatever argument Jaune had been about to levy was cut short as Ruby twisted in his grasp, curling closed. Qrow felt a shudder run through her.

"P-Pyrr… ha…" she whimpered. Jaune and the redhead winced, her partner merely closing his eyes on a low sigh.

"Shh," Qrow hushed in as soothingly a tone as could be managed. "Easy, kiddo."

Jaune's shoulders slumped in what seemed like defeat, though his nod was firm. "Alright," he said. The girl stepped forward, a hand closing around Ruby's limp fingers. A moment passed, and Qrow thought she might say something - a promise to see her again, perhaps. However, she simply gave his niece's hand a squeeze, a sadness far too deep for Qrow's liking in her eyes before stepping back. She and her partner turned and started off down the mountain path.

The blonde stood still a second longer. "Take care of her," came his voice at length, sounding more like an order than anything else. Qrow didn't rebuke him.

"Get going, kid," he replied. Jaune hesitantly followed his teammates, and Qrow wandered onto the opposite path. Two steps later, he stopped. "Hey!" The kids paused. "Be careful."

The redhead grinned. "We will be," she said.

The fact that he could, in all absolution, believe her comforted Qrow a great deal more than he had expected it to. A smile flickered across his expression, despite the seriousness of the situation and the fact that he didn't much feel like smiling. Then, the trio disappeared over a rise in the ground, and their footsteps faded into Anima's silence.

"Right," he muttered to himself. He cast his niece a glance. Her features had evened out, no longer twisted with agony, and it seemed that she was finally sleeping somewhat peacefully. "Hang in there, pipsqueak. We're gonna be just fine."

* * *

The kid hadn't been lying when he said there was nothing left of Kuroyuri. The place was a ghost town of half-demolished buildings and debris, creaking wooden beams and rustling shreds of tattered fabric. Qrow had seen his fair share of 'creepy' places, but with Ruby in his arms and the unyielding silence hanging over everything in a pervasive shroud, he couldn't help but feel a little unnerved.

Still, the place's layout was basic and open enough for him to decide no Grimm would be sneaking up on them.

He set Ruby down against the gnarled, ashen trunk of an old tree in what he assumed to be the center of the village and crouched at her side, keeping a hand on her shoulder. She curled inward, a hand clutching feebly at her bandaged wound, and gave a weak moan. With a sigh, Qrow let his gaze trail over the ancient buildings. He doubted there was anything of use to be found, but he needed to be certain.

"U-Uncle… Qrow…?"

Startled, Qrow faced his niece. Relief and worry came in a tidal wave as he was met with fever-bright silver eyes peering up at him from under partially-closed lids. "Hey," he said with a strained sort of chuckle. "I'm right here, kiddo."

Ruby took a shuddering breath. "Hurts..."

The whine sounded so much like that of a lost, broken child that Qrow momentarily forgot where he was and drew Ruby close, tucking her head under his chin. "I know," he said, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"N…" she began, giving her head a lethargic shake even as she leaned into him. "N't your fault." Another whimper came, accompanied a moment later by a soft sniffle. " _'m_ … sorry. Should've listen'd... shouldn't've… left Patch."

Qrow squeezed his eyes shut tighter on a trembling breath. Of course, she blamed herself. Of course, she couldn't - or, after everything, maybe just _wouldn't_ \- acknowledge that it was his fault, as he rightly deserved. At this point, he was starting to be properly sure that whatever Gods happened to actually exist out there were playing some cruel cosmic joke on him.

"Thinkin' that one's on me there, pipsqueak," he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

"'m sorry I... let you down."

Her reply was so soft, he almost didn't hear it, but it made him wince all the same. His hold tightened as he lifted his head and carefully brushed a few offending strands of hair from her sweat-streaked forehead.

"Never, Ruby," he told her. "Never."

The silence fell again. A Beowulf pack howled, somewhere far in the distance, the echo rolling over the empty hills. After what felt like an eternity, but in actuality was only a few minutes, Ruby's breathing evened out once more. Qrow leaned her back against the tree, keeping his movements slow and careful.

"Be right back, kiddo. Don't go anywhere."

She didn't acknowledge his words but leaned ever so slightly towards his voice. Tenderly ruffling her hair, he straightened before stuffing his shaking hands in his pockets. Deciding on a direction, he forced his unwilling feet to carry him forward and began his search.


End file.
